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Power outages affected tens of thousands of residents in Southern California by Monday night as utility companies implemented preventative measures against the region’s infamous Santa Ana winds. The powerful gusts, known for their potential to damage electrical infrastructure and ignite wildfires, prompted heightened emergency responses.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a red flag warning for Los Angeles and Ventura counties, designating the event as a “particularly dangerous situation” (PDS). The warning took effect at 8 p.m. Monday and extended into Tuesday.
This marks the first PDS red flag warning since early November, when strong, dry winds fueled the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, destroying over 240 structures, mostly homes. Prior to that, the last such warning in the region was issued in 2020.
The NWS warned that the current event could rival the severity of the November 5th-6th Santa Ana windstorm that contributed to the Mountain Fire.
By Monday night, nearly 42,000 customers in San Diego County were without electricity, with utility providers cautioning that additional outages were likely. Southern California Edison had earlier announced plans for targeted power shut-offs affecting over 250,000 homes and businesses across seven counties. San Diego Gas & Electric also warned nearly 117,500 customers of possible temporary power cuts aimed at reducing wildfire risks.
Wind speeds of 50 to 60 mph (80 to 97 kph) were reported in and around the mountainous areas of Southern California, with gusts exceeding 60 mph (97 kph) in the Santa Ana and San Gabriel mountain ranges, according to the NWS.
Santa Ana winds are characterized by their dry, warm, and gusty conditions, blowing from Southern California’s interior toward the coast. These winds typically peak during the fall but can persist through winter and into early spring.
Meanwhile, in Northern California, meteorologists forecast an “impactful rainfall event” for the San Francisco Bay Area later in the week, signaling a shift in weather conditions across the state.
